Cat's Cradle
by swords and pens
Summary: The puppeteer no longer needs to depend on the puppet. That puppet can no longer control the puppeteer. Cabbie inside.


**A/N**: So, Cabbie is one of my favorite ships and I've wanted to write this for a while. Feedback is appreciated.

* * *

_cat's cradle_

Robbie Shapiro shakes his curly dark hair, feeling an itch overcome him. He stands back, shifting his weight to his heels, feeling oh-so out of place. He doesn't comprehend who would actually want him at a party like this. Apparently, it's the party of the year (like a recreation of Project X). He shrugs his shoulders, subconsciously, assuming that he came here only because he already finished his studies for the year. He's not _that_ much of a nerd, okay? It's almost May. Plus, he goes to a performing arts school, there's not that much to do. He sips the brown liquid from the cup (it's ginger ale, chill), watching a certain redhead dance by herself. She seems so synchronized with the beat that he falls in a trance, mesmerized by the shake of her curvaceous hips. By now, he's convinced that he appears to be a pervert or a creep... like Sinjin. He returns back to reality, noticing Rex flirting with the Northridge girls. He's become so dissociated from the puppet that he no longer feels like a puppeteer. It's like Rex took off on his own, leaving Robbie in the dust.

He doesn't even feel like he's capable of stopping Rex anymore. He's uncontrollable. Sometimes he wonders if he could've still enrolled himself into Hollywood Arts if he never received the ventriloquist doll for Christmas those eleven years ago. Apparently, it was to put his social anxiety to rest. Instead, it split Robbie Shapiro in half. In the 2010 census, he listed that there were four persons in his home: his mother, father, himself... and Rex. It's become a battle of the dorky, awkward socially inept Robbie and the king of douchebaggery and criticism Rex.

He decides to force himself onto the floor, towards his dancing friend. She doesn't even acknowledge his presence; still in her own world. Instead of pushing him away, he feels a magnetic pull, making it impossible to resist her. Before he knows it, he's in the exact middle of the room, awkwardly standing by his friend. He considers asking her to dance as a slow song plays. It comes out as a barely audible mutter, ending in an upward inflection. He hates that. It makes him sound weak. The room seems to stand still, blurring everything but her and him. She glances skywards, making eye contact with him, before collapsing into his arms.

Surprised, the lanky dork almost falls over, before steadying himself. No one else takes notice of the unconscious girl. He repositions her, so her arms are cradling his neck, with her legs straddling his waist; piggy-back style. She seems extraordinarily heavier as she's incapable of holding herself up. He scans the room for an exit to a quieter place. He feels her head slide into the crease of his neck. Her warm skin against his comforts him. Asides for what Rex gets (does it really count?), this is the most physical contact he's received in years. He leans forward, attempting to support her, as he tries to reach the stairway safely, without dropping her. He slowly walks up the stairs, feeling his knees weaken under the weight of her, but he keeps himself going. He turns at the first door, or what he was told to be the guest bedroom.

Creaking the door open, he's relieved to find no one inside (especially not doing the deed). He lays her down on bed, lifting the covers over her body and tucking her in. He lies beside her, pushing her hair back, so he can see her eyes. "Goodnight, Caterina Valentine." Before he realizes it, she's molded her body to fit his shape. He reaches over, resting his arm over her body, in a protective manner. He can't just sit in the rocking chair, fall asleep and wait for someone to take advantage of her. He'd blame himself forever. "I love you." He's forgotten one last thing: Rex. The puppeteer no longer needs to depend on the puppet. That puppet can no longer control him. The girl resting beneath him is all he'll ever need from now on: Cat. The exhausted boy loses consciousness, sleeping with her in the most innocent sense of the word.


End file.
